Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 53
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
देशन्तरगते प्रेते द्रव्यं दायादबान्धवाः ज्ञातयो वा हरेयुस्तदागतास्तैर् विना नृपः
deśantaragate prete dravyaṃ dāyādabāndhavāḥ jñātayo vā hareyustadāgatāstair vinā nṛpaḥ
If a person dies while having gone to another country, his property should be taken by his heirs or relatives, or by his kinsmen when they arrive; but in their absence, the king may take it.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Rules for state custody/transfer of a deceased traveler’s estate; guidance for officials on escheat and safeguarding property until heirs appear.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Escheat and custody of property when death occurs abroad","lookup_keywords":["देशान्तरमृत्यु","दायाद","बान्धव","राजग्रहण","द्रव्याधिकार"],"quick_summary":"If someone dies while away from his home country, his property is to be taken by heirs/relatives/kinsmen upon their arrival; if none are present, the king may take custody (escheat), implying state responsibility to manage unclaimed estates."}
Concept: राजधर्म as trustee of order: property must pass to rightful claimants; absent claimants, the king assumes custodianship/claim under law.
Application: Estate administration: inventory, secure assets, notify/await heirs, prevent misappropriation, and apply lawful escheat when unclaimed.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Inheritance Law and Governance)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A traveler’s death in a distant land; officials sealing and listing his goods; later, arriving relatives claim the estate; in their absence, the king’s treasury officers take custody.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette; a distant marketplace with a deceased traveler, royal scribes recording goods on palm-leaf, attendants guarding bundles, relatives arriving with gestures of claim; traditional costumes, ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf; a seated king on throne receiving an inventory scroll, treasury chests beside him, officials presenting sealed property bundles; rich textiles, halo-like arch, embossed gold detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework; clerks performing estate inventory, seals on pots and cloth bundles, a messenger indicating ‘heirs arriving’; calm administrative setting with labeled objects.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene; diwān office with accountants, scales, ledgers; a foreign traveler’s goods displayed; a group of kinsmen entering; architectural depth and fine textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: deśantaragate = deśa+antara+gate; dāyādabāndhavāḥ = dāyāda+bāndhavāḥ (dvandva); hareyus = hareyuḥ; tadāgatāstair = tadāgatāḥ+taiḥ; vinā nṛpaḥ: negative sense implied (king should not take without them).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara sequence on inheritance and judicial procedure)
FAQs
It imparts a rule of vyavahāra (civil law): succession to a deceased person’s property when death occurs in a foreign place—priority to heirs/kinsmen, and in their absence the king may take custody/claim (escheat).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft and jurisprudence—inheritance order, property claims, and the king’s administrative role—showing its wide coverage of governance (rājadharma) alongside ritual and doctrine.
By preventing unlawful appropriation and ensuring rightful succession (or lawful state custody), the rule supports dharma, reduces disputes and adharma around wealth, and frames governance as a moral duty aligned with karmic order.